Friday, May 17, 2013, Guerneville, CA.
My internet connection was out
Added Note: My internet phone line is out and it won’t be repaired until about Tuesday, they say, so things might be spotty for awhile. I will try to post this at the local library today, the eighteenth.
My phone line which is my DSL line went out about midnight last night as I was trying to publish to my blog. In the morning, when I got up, it was still out. So now I had to get that fixed somehow. I was able to use the neighbors phone to put in a repair request. Of course they wanted a phone where they could contact me, but hey, when your phone is out and it’s the only one, that’s it. Of course I wasn’t talking to a person, but a computer on the phone so saying the wrong things isn’t helpful. I finally got the report accomplished. Later I checked their repair report status online and found out it was supposed to be done, maybe around eight thirty this evening. It’s almost nine PM now and I haven’t heard from anyone and the phone is still out. I’ll write this up and publish when the phone is back working.
With the phone out, that meant I had to stay home just in case a repair person came by, which meant I might as well work on something as I have lots of projects.
First off, my car got a little attention. The transmission has been overfull since I got it and that causes oil to go up the speedo line which causes the speedo not to report the right speed. So, today, I used a hose and sucked enough of it out to get it back to the just full mark. Hopefully that will fix the speedo problem. I also noticed my CVJ boot on one of the axles is cracked and leaking grease, so that will have to be taken care of eventually, but not today.
There were a few naps involved in all of this and I sat around in my yard for a spell too. :O)
My next project was to cut the boards for and construct a box for my van. The last time I was traveling, I had a hard time with my shoes once I took them off and put on the slippers. They were always in the way in my tiny living space and sometimes they were a bit on the muddy side, so I need a place to store stuff like that and I also needed a place to put the new propane grill I hope to get installed, when it’s not in use. I needed a catch all box. Oh, I also needed to corral my two folding chairs in the process.
So, after some though I sketched a design, looked to see what I had to build it with and cut it out. I decided to drill and screw it to hold it together. I will also use screws to mount it in the van. so things will be flexible if I want to remove it or something.
My first attempt at a box was ok, but the half inch wafer wood I used just was too heavy. I try to keep the weight down in the van as much as possible.
Below is what my first attempt of the box looked like, before any sanding. The two folding chairs go under it and the top is for grills and shoes and stuff.
I took the first box apart, remember I used screws so it wasn’t too hard to take apart. I needed the two little end boards on the ends for the new box, box 2. And the chairs compartment was just a tiny but too tight, so more reason to make another lighter box.
I found some one quarter inch mahogany with walnut skin and recut most of the pieces out of it and drilled and screwed it all together. Now, this was more like it, lighter and I like how it looked too.
Below is a picture of box 2. It still needs some sanding and something to seal it up.
I tried the box in the van and it and should work out real good as well as look good.
I also cut some black berry vines around the yard this evening. It’s a never ending task as they just keep popping up. I know they will win in the long run, but I keep hacking away at them, every year.
It’s nine thirty PM and still no DSL, so I bet I’ll be lucky to get it fixed by tomorrow?
Time to get some dinner.
Had a nice day puttering in the yard.